Out of The Past
When Dunbar Township’s 1962 season went South If any observer was to remind that it never rains but what it pours, there might be some former Dunbar Twp. High football players around who would add a quick “amen” to that, especially if they had been playing this week, awayyyy back in 1962.
Up to this point of that particular season, the Mules, then coached by the late Stan McLaughlin, had not allowed a point on defense. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Then came just a short span of five days, or in the case of football games, five nights.
The Mules went over to Scottdale, and for one quarter it was same game, different night. Tommy Maceyak plunged over from the one to give DT a 6-0 opening lead. But in the second, Paul Gendek fired a pass to Sam Bair, and Bair, who would go on to earn many local and national running honors, outran the defense to complete a 65-yard score.
Frank Provance kicked the PAT, and that lead held into the third quarter when the Scots added an insurance TD. Dan Szolek ran 9 yards for the TD, and Provance kicked the final point for the14-6 score.
Five nights later, it was the Mules on the zero end of the score. They battled through the rain and mud with North Union at old DT Stadium, and it was the defenses, combined with the weather, that dominated this game. Then, with 30-seconds left in the game, Ron Austin rammed over from the one, and NU had a 6-0 win.
On the other hand, that same short span was beneficial for Scottdale. The Scots followed the win over DT with a come-from-behind 20-13 win over Somerset, scoring 14 in the fourth quarter to clinch.
Randy Cameron got the first SHS score by recovering a fumble in the end zone, then Provance had runs of 11 and 1 yard, plus he kicked two PAT to clinch.
Connellsville went to Jeannette and came home a 27-12 loser, leaving them 0-2-2 in another hapless year under the coaching of Dan Hamill. JHS led 14-0 on their first two possessions, and rolled from there. The Cokers got back within 14-12 at the half as Dick Tikey passed 57 yards to Joe Bulebush for one score and plunged a yard for the other. The Jayhawks iced the game with two scores in the fourth.
– n –
Connellsville won the Uniontown Invitational Cross-Country Run for the first time, scoring 40 points to lead Canon-McMillan, Baldwin, Latrobe, host Uniontown and Monongahela, in that order. The Cokers, then coached by the late Wilmer Burkholder, took three of the top 10 places. Richard Lehman, Baldwin, and Harry Burkholder, Connellsville, had a real stretch battle, right to the wire, with Lehman winning in 11:13, just a scant one-half second ahead of Burkholder (11:13.5). Wayne Swindell was sixth, Albert Sandusky ninth, Don Vilella 11th, and John Hartz 12th, to complete Coker scoring. Other CHS finishers were Bob Little 13, Billy Franks 19, Jerry Browell 20, Jim Nicholson 26, Bob Keller 39 and John Peterson 42.
Frank Sewell was fastest for Uniontown, finishing 7th. He was followed by Lee Collier 14, Jim Rae 27, Ron Friend 30 and Terry Lenkey 33.
– n –
Try this one, from that week, for a mind boggler, especially in light of today’s humungous pro golf jackpots. A news item noted that “Jack Nicklaus was back in college today, and the rest of the touring golf pros are delighted.”
Seems that Nicklaus needed one more semester to finish work for his diploma at Ohio State. He went back to school after playing in 25 tournaments. In that span he became the No. 3 money winner on the tour, with – get this – $61,318, plus an additional $50,000 in “unofficial winnings” from the recent World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio. In earnings, he trailed only Arnold Palmer ($81,448) and Gene Littler ($63,690). Add those sums altogether, and today’s golfers make twice that, and then some, for winning just one match.
– n –
In other news that week:
-Harold Smith and George Johnson combined for a 133 to win the Member-Member Golf Tournament at Pleasant Valley Country Club, Connellsville. They won by five over John Eicher and Joe Rulli.
-Adam Donnelly, head football and basketball coach at German Twp., was elected President of the Fayette County Coaches Assn., succeeding Tamer Joseph, of Fairchance-Georges. Rudy Marisa, Albert Gallatin, was named vice-president; Jim Rogers, North Union, secretary-treasurer; Gus Cardarelli, Redstone, Sgt.-At-Arms; and Ringy Stefancin (South Union), Alex Barantovich (Brownsville), and Tony Polink (Albert Gallatin), trustees. New member coaches included Tom Rozzi, Dunbar Twp.; Harold (Horse) Taylor, North Union; Burt Sutton, Brownsville; Don Jones, Bellmar; and Bob Perry, Redstone.
– Vic & Al of Connellsville edged Masontown, 2-1, in Mon Valley Traveling Duckpin League play. Romy Palone, Masontown, rolled only two games, but had high single score of 254, and teammate R. Doman had high triple of 461.
– Westminster College edged Indiana, Pa., 7-6, getting the winning score on a late fourth-quarter keeper TD by QB Herb Ellis of Connellsville.
– Fullback Alan Sepsi of Brownsville scored touchdowns on 65-, 2-, and 3-yard runs, and helped set up two other scores, as California U beat Lock Haven, 47-21.
– Fred Mazurek (Redstone) sustained a fractured thumb in Pitt’s 24-14 win over Baylor, and will be sidelined indefinitely. Mazurek passed for one score before leaving the game in the second quarter.
– Robert (Bo) Scott, of Connellsville, scored on a 7-yard run to help Ohio State wallop North Carolina, 41-7.
– Denison College, Ohio, had a real “Twin Punch” in their backfield, to help with a 39-0 rout of Carnegie Tech. Dick and Bill Witt of Connellsville, twin-brother running backs, helped Denison to the win, Bill setting up one score with a 39-yard punt return.
– Duquesne blanked Holy Cross, 3-0, in Connellsville KC Bowling League action, led by Fr. Michael Bucci, who rolled the night’s high score of 232. Joe Canada had a 570 triple.
– At the halfway point of the season, Uniontown was among the 10 teams still in the running for WPIAL-AA playoff competition, and Scottdale was among the “A” contenders.
Remember?
Jim Kriek is a Herald-Standard sports correspondent.